Rubén says, "Despite being a Polish vehicle in an occupied zone, the Fiat was painted Russian green." So, he base-coated the truck with Tamiya acrylic medium green; shaded it with a mix of the base coat, black, and brown; then applied a mix of the base coat and white for highlights and fading. Rust and yellow were used to brighten targeted areas.

After dry-brushing with Vallejo brown, green, and red acrylics, Rubén applied a wash of oil paint. "I prefer washing with greens, browns, and pure white, which does a nice job of simulating dust," he says. A misting of Tamiya buff finished the Fiat.

Rubén carved the base from corkboard, rendered pavement from stucco, and painted stones and sand pebbles with Tamiya acrylics. Hornet provided the German soldier, Verlinden the Polish civilian; Rubén painted them both with Vallejo acrylics.

Residing in Valencia, Spain, Rubén says the secret to a successful diorama is smart placement. He says, "While I randomly added many of the details, I was aiming for a pleasing visual balance." We think he hit his target!